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Gilbert was momentarily startled by Veronica’s sudden change, but the moment she mentioned Kang Do-jun’s name, he realized the Q&A had begun.

Using causality to answer questions—he never imagined it would involve borrowing the Saintess’s body.

Well, maybe he had a vague idea.

Recalling Veronica’s insistence on going to the prayer room, it seemed even this was part of the plan. However, it was still unclear how the system was connected to the divine and why it chose to deliver revelations through Veronica.

“User Kang Do-jun. You’ve worked hard to come this far.”

“Can you answer all my questions now?”

“Unfortunately, no. Even with a significant amount of causality settled, there are limits.”

Though the voice was monotone, the expression conveyed genuine regret. Since this was somewhat expected, Gilbert decided to cut to the chase rather than waste time.

“No need to waste time. First, explain why I was brought here.”

One of the things he most wanted to know.

Why Kang Do-jun was pulled into this world and became Gilbert.

The game he had been playing wasn’t a typical fantasy with heroes and demon kings but one centered around mechs and war.

The ultimate goal was nothing more than unifying the continent, so there was no compelling reason to forcibly reincarnate Kang Do-jun into Gilbert’s body just to achieve that.

Especially since the system had granted him transcendent power, making it even harder to comprehend.

“Given the settled causality, some explanations will be abbreviated. Please bear with me.”

“As long as I can understand, it’s fine.”

“The reason User Kang Do-jun was summoned to this world, though clichéd, was to prevent this world from collapsing.”

The system administrator, borrowing Veronica’s body, got straight to the point.

According to her, Kang Do-jun was brought here for a very common reason: a threat loomed over the world, and the system chose him as the solution.

When asked why, she replied it was because he had the highest probability of success.

Gilbert felt a bit cheated, having expected something more profound.

“Then, what is this world? From my world, it looked like a game.”

“All worlds are organically connected. Whether it’s this world or the one User Kang Do-jun came from, they are connected in some way. It’s just that in your world, the medium was a game.”

“All worlds… So, there are other worlds besides this one and mine?”

“Correct. To add, in those worlds, your world is considered a fictional one.”

Gilbert wasn’t shaken by the idea that his original world was seen as pulp fiction elsewhere.

He had already accepted this world as reality, not a game.

Though this world closely resembled the game, it was undeniably a living, breathing world.

Hearing that his original world was a novel in another universe didn’t faze him. Kang Do-jun, who had lived fiercely in that world, was no fictional character but a real, living person.

“You’re quite composed.”

“Nothing to be surprised about.”

“I think I understand why the system chose you.”

“So, what is this system?”

“It’s the will that constitutes the world. Administrators like me manage the system, ensuring causality doesn’t go awry.”

Gilbert had another question. If the system was the will that constituted the world, and administrators managed it, what exactly was the revelation Veronica received?

“That is the system manifesting as a revelation. The system exists yet doesn’t exist, doesn’t exist yet exists. It is singular and infinite.”

“So, it’s essentially a god?”

“Theologically, yes. We used the term ‘system’ to explain it in a way you’d understand, but a theologian would have called it a god without hesitation.”

“Then what are the administrators?”

“Obviously, apostles.”

Gilbert roughly understood what the system was.

A god-like system and apostles as administrators. The system windows he received could be interpreted as divine powers.

“Is traveling between worlds a common occurrence?”

“No, it’s extremely rare. Under normal circumstances, User Kang Do-jun wouldn’t have come to this world. For that, I apologize on behalf of the system.”

Seeing the administrator bow, Gilbert waved it off.

“Apologies for what’s already happened aren’t important. More importantly, how do I return to my original world?”

The most crucial question had been asked.

To him, the reason he was brought here was just a secondary concern.

What Gilbert truly wanted to know was one thing.

Returning.

The method to go back to his original world.

“It’s possible. As you might expect, once this world is normalized, you can return to your original world.”

“By normalized, do you mean defeating the Demon King?”

“Something similar. Explaining in detail would exceed the settled causality.”

The administrator, staring into the void, couldn’t give a clear answer.

But just knowing he could return was enough reward for Gilbert’s efforts in finding the Divine Empire.

The administrator, observing Gilbert’s relieved expression, asked a personal question.

“User Kang Do-jun. May I ask you something personal?”

“Me? Go ahead.”

“From what I know, User Kang Do-jun suffered a permanent injury in your original world, making even movement difficult. If balancing the world and preventing its collapse is the goal, wouldn’t staying here be better?”

Gilbert scratched his chin at the administrator’s question. It was a valid point.

He had sustained a fatal injury during his last mission.

Though he survived, the aftermath left him half-paralyzed, struggling to move.

Honestly, living here in Gilbert’s perfect body might be better than returning to a broken one. He liked this strong, healthy body more than his old, aching one.

But his original world was where his comrades, who had gone before him, rested.

It was the homeland he had defended, even at the cost of his body.

He could never abandon that place to stay here, no matter how broken his body was. He had to return.

Seeing Gilbert’s resolute determination, the administrator chose her words carefully.

If there had been enough settled causality, she would have said more, but she had to conserve her words for crucial information.

So, she offered an alternative.

One that Kang Do-jun, as a person, would deeply consider.

“User Kang Do-jun, I understand your resolve. But don’t forget that you now have new comrades here. They, too, have stood with you on the battlefield.”

“…”

Gilbert chose silence over an answer.

Perhaps it was something he had been deliberately avoiding.

Though only a year had passed since he awoke in this world, he had already been through countless battles.

Even in moments of calm, his life was always at risk, as were the lives of his comrades.

To him, comrades were synonymous with family.

That was true both before and after his reincarnation, so he avoided thinking about it.

But now, forced to confront it by the administrator, a flood of indescribable thoughts overwhelmed him.

“I seem to have said something unnecessary. I apologize.”

Seeing Gilbert’s complex expression, the administrator admitted this alternative might not have been the best.

But she didn’t regret it, as Kang Do-jun needed to reconsider his decision to return.

“User Kang Do-jun. There’s not much causality left. If you have another question, please choose carefully.”

“I heard the condition for my return is normalizing the world. And that normalization likely involves dealing with the Demon King. What I’m curious about is whether the Hero and Demon King are considered abnormal in this world.”

The administrator calculated the causality for Gilbert’s question.

A detailed explanation would exceed the limits, but a simple answer about normality and abnormality was still possible.

“Originally, they are not abnormal.”

Gilbert fell into thought upon hearing this single sentence.

If the appearance of the Hero and Demon King wasn’t abnormal, then the cause of the world’s abnormality lay elsewhere.

Expanding his thoughts, something else came to mind.

Given the circumstances, he, summoned as the Hero, and the Demon King, his antithesis.

Gilbert felt he had found a clue and glared intensely at the administrator.

“Am I the Hero in this system?”

“Correct.”

This time, half of the remaining causality was consumed.

Now, there was very little left to answer further questions.

But seeing Gilbert’s sharp gaze, the administrator realized what he would ask next.

Indeed, he was a man worthy of being summoned from another world to play the role of the Hero.

“User Kang Do-jun. This is the final answer. As you suspect, the Demon King is also a reincarnated individual from your world.”

Gilbert accepted the administrator’s words without surprise, as if he had already expected it.

 

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